Hearing weird noises when your air conditioner is working? There's likely something wrong with your unit. If you don’t pay attention to it, it could lead to extensive—and expensive—issues eventually. We're going to help you figure out what’s occurring with your air conditioner and what you can do to fix it.
8 Common Air Conditioning Noises
- Gurgling - Gurgling normally indicates an issue with your refrigerant line. If you can't determine where the noise is emanating from, that's alright. An expert can help determine where this noise is occurring. You can learn more information on our gurgling noises guide.
- Crackling - Crackling could result from debris in the unit or aging ductwork. Debris in the outdoor unit will cause a noise outside your house. Aging ductwork can cause noise inside your house. Read our crackling noise guide for more information.
- Hissing - Hissing can come from a damanged refrigerant line, an internal valve leak or the compressor. Peruse our hissing noise guide for more on that.
- Buzzing - Buzzing is probably an electrical issue. Check out our buzzing noise guide for additional information.
- Clicking - Clicking can mean you have a loose part or that the fan is misaligned. You can see more information in our clicking noise guide.
- Pulsating - Pulsating can come from a loose part. Go through our pulsating noise guide for more information.
- Loud Noise - A clear noise from your outdoor unit can indicate an issue with your compressor, damper, fan or air handler. Look at our loud noise guide for more information.
- Humming - Humming can begin with fan motor issues or a damaged relay switch. Check out our humming noise guide for more information.
You can find more information about frequent air conditioning issues on energy.gov
Should I keep running my system when it’s making a noise?
There are some cases where you can continue to run your AC, but you do so at your own risk. It's almost impossible to answer this question without looking at your system.
Most of the time, we recommend turning the unit off and calling a professional.
When should I do something about the noise?
We recommend calling a professional as soon as you recognize there's an issue with your unit. While AC repairs can be stressful and an unexpected spend, it's smart to get problems taken care of right away. Getting a professional could help lower future expenses and keep your system running longer.
Not sure if your air conditioner is making any of these noises? Please fill out the form below for a free, in-home consultation.